The Mike Portnoy Appreciation/Discussion Thread (merged)

[KevShmev]

Five seconds into the video, is his daughter chugging wine while sitting right next to him?  That seems odd.  The few recovering alcoholics I have known, their families always made a point to not drink in front of them out of courtesy.  Just making an observation, not judging.

[DTA]

Five seconds into the video, is his daughter chugging wine while sitting right next to him?  That seems odd.  The few recovering alcoholics I have known, their families always made a point to not drink in front of them out of courtesy.  Just making an observation, not judging.

His touring lifestyle probably puts him in proximity of booze constantly so maybe he's just learned to avoid the temptation. Wasn't there some SoA tour bus video where the bus was stocked with whisky for JSS? I'm guessing he's probably comfortable enough to be around it without needing it as it seems like quite a large demand for a "no alcohol" policy at stuff like parties/holidays.

[axeman90210]

I'll say that my dad's been sober for almost 30 years and my mom, my sister, and I have never not had a beer or a glass of wine just because he's around. It might be one thing if he was newly in the program and just out of rehab or something, but for someone who's been sober as long as he has I'd be worried if he couldn't deal with people indulging around him (especially considering his line of work). And it seemed like just a normal sip of wine, to me chugging has more of a negative, "drinking an inappropriate amount" connotation.

edit:

Five seconds into the video, is his daughter chugging wine while sitting right next to him?  That seems odd.  The few recovering alcoholics I have known, their families always made a point to not drink in front of them out of courtesy.  Just making an observation, not judging.

His touring lifestyle probably puts him in proximity of booze constantly so maybe he's just learned to avoid the temptation. Wasn't there some SoA tour bus video where the bus was stocked with whisky for JSS? I'm guessing he's probably comfortable enough to be around it without needing it as it seems like quite a large demand for a "no alcohol" policy at stuff like parties/holidays.

Yeah, I know Billy Sheehan is always posting about wine when he's out on tour as well.

[KevShmev]

Thanks for those posts, fellas. Gave me some new and interesting perspective. 

[MirrorMask]

I'll say that my dad's been sober for almost 30 years and my mom, my sister, and I have never not had a beer or a glass of wine just because he's around. It might be one thing if he was newly in the program and just out of rehab or something, but for someone who's been sober as long as he has I'd be worried if he couldn't deal with people indulging around him (especially considering his line of work).

Yeah, of course I don't know him personally nor I have experience with ex-addicts buy my general impression was this one: he simply got over it and he no longer has the urge or the temptation. He's an adult man dealing with other adults, if someone don't know this detail about him when actually meeting him to work, a simple "no, thanks, I'm a recovering alcholic, I'll never drink again" will do to have any bandmember drop the invitation to drink along with them.

[Mladen]

That video is awesome, Melody truly knows The Beatles well. I can imagine she would destroy Neal Morse if she played the game with him. 

[Madman Shepherd]

Also, doesn't get talked about much but on BE live by PoS, they mess up the lyrics Lilium Cruentus.

I'm not sure I even understand what that sentence means, so I'm not surprised that it isn't talked about much. 

Excuse me, sir. Seeing as how the V.P. is such a V.I.P., shouldn't we keep the P.C. on the Q.T.? 'Cause of the leaks to the V.C. he could end up M.I.A., and then we'd all be put out in K.P.

... I would like to leave the room now.

Yesss Sir.

And if you dooooo... and if you dooooo.   

 

Didn't somebody wearing my uniform and bearing a striking resemblance to myself just say that that kind of music was inappropriate?

[gmillerdrake]

I'll say that my dad's been sober for almost 30 years and my mom, my sister, and I have never not had a beer or a glass of wine just because he's around. It might be one thing if he was newly in the program and just out of rehab or something, but for someone who's been sober as long as he has I'd be worried if he couldn't deal with people indulging around him (especially considering his line of work).

Yeah, of course I don't know him personally nor I have experience with ex-addicts buy my general impression was this one: he simply got over it and he no longer has the urge or the temptation. He's an adult man dealing with other adults, if someone don't know this detail about him when actually meeting him to work, a simple "no, thanks, I'm a recovering alcholic, I'll never drink again" will do to have any bandmember drop the invitation to drink along with them.

This June will be 12 years sober for me....and, I do not care one bit if people are drinking around me. Near all my buddies drink around me....family members....it just doesn't cross my mind to take a drink if I see someone drinking. I'd imagine that MP has something similar to where it just doesn't bother him and if it did then certainly his daughter would know and wouldn't be drinking in front of him.

Where I HAVE been tempted in these past (11+) years is when I'm alone and I get into my own head and try to convince myself that 'surely you've come so far now and clearly have "control" over this....you could have one or two drinks with your buddies".....

I am not a 'one or two drink' person. If it's one it's then 70 more. Thus....I just don't drink any longer.

[Podaar]

Five seconds into the video, is his daughter chugging wine while sitting right next to him?  That seems odd.  The few recovering alcoholics I have known, their families always made a point to not drink in front of them out of courtesy.  Just making an observation, not judging.

Chugging? Seriously?

She sips something pinkish out of a white wine glass. It could have been anything... Christmas punch, cranberry juice and ginger ale, or any number of festive holiday non-alcohol drinks. Yes, it easily could be a blush wine too, but the assumption that it's alcohol along with mischaracterizing her consumption seems a bit hyperbolic, don't you think?

[Architeuthis]

I had a friend over and watched the Plovdiv dvd. She had never heard SOA before and actually liked the show. When JSS introduced MP,   she asked me "did he say Mike Pork-loin"?    Anyway we got a good laugh. 

[nobloodyname]

Five seconds into the video, is his daughter chugging wine while sitting right next to him?  That seems odd.  The few recovering alcoholics I have known, their families always made a point to not drink in front of them out of courtesy.  Just making an observation, not judging.

Chugging? Seriously?

She sips something pinkish out of a white wine glass. It could have been anything... Christmas punch, cranberry juice and ginger ale, or any number of festive holiday non-alcohol drinks. Yes, it easily could be a blush wine too, but the assumption that it's alcohol along with mischaracterizing her consumption seems a bit hyperbolic, don't you think?

The whole discussion is ludicrous. MP shares a lovely, familial Christmas video featuring his daughter, and, instead of discussing how charming it is, we focus on Melody's one sip. Just... good grief.

[Mladen]

Lets not give Kev such a drilling, he asked a question and thanked for the reply. I also don't think it is a big deal, it's the Holidays and stuff, the family likes a drink for a Holiday, and I guess Mike understands and doesn't mind.

[KevShmev]

Thanks, Mladen.

All good on my end, I was just merely curious.

I did watch the whole video, and he got taken to school by his daughter.  Some wondered how she would do against Neal Morse, but Portnoy kicked Neal's butt, so I am pretty sure Neal would not do well against Melody.

I would crush it in a "name that tune" contest that involved Rush or Dream Theater.

[bosk1]

Yeah, I didn't read Kev's post or the ensuing ones as "making a big deal" out of it either. 

[cramx3]

I'll add that my sister and her husband are sober, while we won't ever bring booze into their home when we are out or at someone elses house, they have no issue with us all drinking in front of them.  I do understand it's different for different people so one could find that odd, but let's remember MP tours with metal bands who drink all the time.  If he can stay sober on the road, his daughter drinking near him isn't likely going to bother him much.

I've actually always wondered if the drinking around MP had bothered him, like it must have been a difficult situation when he was in A7X, and even SOA when JSS and BF booze a bit, even on stage, but at least MP has Billy in SOA who I believe is also sober.

[Nathan Explosion]

I know Mike talks to and occasionally hangs out with Jordan and JP but it made me happy to see he hung out with John Myung on New Year's Eve.

[MinistroRaven]

Yeah that’s cool. Next years’ eve he will be hanging out with Labrie and Mangini

[nobloodyname]

Warms the cockles, that.

[DTA]

Damn, didn’t ever expect him to be on friendly terms with Myung again. I’m pretty sure they live really close to each other so that probably helped as opposed to LaBrie who is likely too distant.

[Stadler]

What's the "Joe Hoyle" reference (I can't find the original quote/feed/whatever it's called)?

I don't really put much stock in these things, because for me it's all about what happens when the lights are off, the phones are down, and the microphones are off, and I'm not one to care how other people conduct themselves in their personal relationships, but to me the Myung thing is news; that's to my knowledge the first acknowledgement that there has been some reparation in that relationship (which, as some might recall, seemed to be a factor in the events of 2010).

Interesting if there's ever going to be a thaw with LaBrie.  They WERE friends at one point.

[Nathan Explosion]

What's the "Joe Hoyle" reference (I can't find the original quote/feed/whatever it's called)?

Mike was just replying to Joe who asked if he had talked to the other guys.

[gzarruk]

Interesting if there's ever going to be a thaw with LaBrie.  They WERE friends at one point.

They were best pals around the IAW era (or so I've read), and if I'm not mistaken, things started to go south in around the SDOIT era.

[Architeuthis]

Interesting if there's ever going to be a thaw with LaBrie.  They WERE friends at one point.

 if I'm not mistaken, things started to go south in around the SDOIT era.

Well that's fitting..

[RodrigoAltaf]

Interesting if there's ever going to be a thaw with LaBrie.  They WERE friends at one point.

They were best pals around the IAW era (or so I've read), and if I'm not mistaken, things started to go south in around the SDOIT era.

I think that James was really upset with that conference call with MP and JP when both complained about James' performance, and from there on, it was never the same. Pure speculation on my part, but I think there's some truth to that.

[Stadler]

Interesting if there's ever going to be a thaw with LaBrie.  They WERE friends at one point.

They were best pals around the IAW era (or so I've read), and if I'm not mistaken, things started to go south in around the SDOIT era.

I think that James was really upset with that conference call with MP and JP when both complained about James' performance, and from there on, it was never the same. Pure speculation on my part, but I think there's some truth to that.

Is that in "Lifting Shadows"?  Why the animosity then for Mike and not John? 

[Setlist Scotty]

I know Mike talks to and occasionally hangs out with Jordan and JP but it made me happy to see he hung out with John Myung on New Year's Eve.

Cool to see! Thanks for sharing!
 
 

They were best pals around the IAW era (or so I've read), and if I'm not mistaken, things started to go south in around the SDOIT era.

Yes, they were extremely close in the early days. But to say that things went south (as in implying that MP and JL's relationship started to fail) is simply hypothesizing. Yes, THE BAND spoke to JL about his performance level not being what it used to be, and they gave him an ultimatum to improve or leave, but just because MP is the one who spoke about it in Lifting Shadows, this does not mean JP nor the other guys weren't also in agreement. In fact, since JP is the most concerned about having consistent performances from show to show, I'd wager he felt just as strongly as MP about JL's need to step up his game. Even then, if you read that account in Lifting Shadows, you will see that there were more disagreements between MP and JL long before the shape up or ship out conference call. So theoretically, it could go back even earlier. But I don't believe that was the case. More than likely it seemed that their relationship began to fracture later, around the time of the tour for BCaSL.

[Madman Shepherd]

Interesting if there's ever going to be a thaw with LaBrie.  They WERE friends at one point.

They were best pals around the IAW era (or so I've read), and if I'm not mistaken, things started to go south in around the SDOIT era.

I believe they were good friends through FII and SFAM is where it started to sour. From Lifting Shadows they mentioned a time when Mike told James that he was going to have Theresa sing the "move on be brave" part during TSCO at a show and they almost came to blows.

SDOIT was when it probably got REALLY bad.

Interesting if there's ever going to be a thaw with LaBrie.  They WERE friends at one point.

They were best pals around the IAW era (or so I've read), and if I'm not mistaken, things started to go south in around the SDOIT era.

I think that James was really upset with that conference call with MP and JP when both complained about James' performance, and from there on, it was never the same. Pure speculation on my part, but I think there's some truth to that.

Is that in "Lifting Shadows"?  Why the animosity then for Mike and not John? 

I've mentioned this a lot in the past but I think that call was 95-99% Mike. I've noticed Mike is quick to take credit for a lot of things unless it is controversial, then it is a "we" decision. If you look at the quotes in Lifting Shadows (as well as all of Mike's comments publicly, online, etc), he had a big problem with James and it doesn't seem like the others did. The only comments in Lifting Shadows were Jordan saying that he was too new to have an opinion, Myung didn't comment at all, Mike was really bothered by James, and John was very passive in his criticism of James. From memory, all John had to say was, "We wanted to ask James, 'are you even into this anymore'?" He mentioned that James seemed to be in a bad mood a lot and they were concerned about him. I don't think John even mentioned looking for a different singer, wanting a different direction, etc. Makes me wonder if Mike made one of his patented exhaustive arguments, that by his own admission, he wouldn't drop until other people went along with. John may have finally been like, "all right, I can agree we need to talk to him" but never had any intention of ever asking him to leave unless things got much, much worse.

[KevShmev]

Yes, they were extremely close in the early days. But to say that things went south (as in implying that MP and JL's relationship started to fail) is simply hypothesizing. Yes, THE BAND spoke to JL about his performance level not being what it used to be, and they gave him an ultimatum to improve or leave, but just because MP is the one who spoke about it in Lifting Shadows, this does not mean JP nor the other guys weren't also in agreement. In fact, since JP is the most concerned about having consistent performances from show to show, I'd wager he felt just as strongly as MP about JL's need to step up his game. Even then, if you read that account in Lifting Shadows, you will see that there were more disagreements between MP and JL long before the shape up or ship out conference call. So theoretically, it could go back even earlier. But I don't believe that was the case. More than likely it seemed that their relationship began to fracture later, around the time of the tour for BCaSL.

What happened around the tour for BC&SL between the two?

I've mentioned this a lot in the past but I think that call was 95-99% Mike. I've noticed Mike is quick to take credit for a lot of things unless it is controversial, then it is a "we" decision. If you look at the quotes in Lifting Shadows (as well as all of Mike's comments publicly, online, etc), he had a big problem with James and it doesn't seem like the others did. The only comments in Lifting Shadows were Jordan saying that he was too new to have an opinion, Myung didn't comment at all, Mike was really bothered by James, and John was very passive in his criticism of James. From memory, all John had to say was, "We wanted to ask James, 'are you even into this anymore'?" He mentioned that James seemed to be in a bad mood a lot and they were concerned about him. I don't think John even mentioned looking for a different singer, wanting a different direction, etc. Makes me wonder if Mike made one of his patented exhaustive arguments, that by his own admission, he wouldn't drop until other people went along with. John may have finally been like, "all right, I can agree we need to talk to him" but never had any intention of ever asking him to leave unless things got much, much worse.

That reminds me of his post (I think it was on his forum, but it's hard to remember) in the later 00's where he said he and the band talked about Kevin Moore and Space Dye Vest one night and they all agreed both were overrated, and my thought was always he was probably very verbal about it, and the rest of the band, not wanting to argue about it, probably laughed or nodded, and he took that as total agreement.  Of course I was not there, but given the kind words JLB and JP have had about Moore over the years combined with the fact that Space Dye Vest was played every night on the Along for the Ride tour, it just isn't believable that the entire band agreed with him on that.

[Madman Shepherd]

That reminds me of his post (I think it was on his forum, but it's hard to remember) in the later 00's where he said he and the band talked about Kevin Moore and Space Dye Vest one night and they all agreed both were overrated, and my thought was always he was probably very verbal about it, and the rest of the band, not wanting to argue about it, probably laughed or nodded, and he took that as total agreement.  Of course I was not there, but given the kind words JLB and JP have had about Moore over the years combined with the fact that Space Dye Vest was played every night on the Along for the Ride tour, it just isn't believable that the entire band agreed with him on that.

Ya know, they may have just said that to not start an argument but I also don't doubt that they do agree with that. Of course, him broadcasting that opinion in no way respects the substance of the rest of their opinions regarding the song. Did they follow it up with, "But we should still play it sometime." Were they saying that compared to Metropolis or In the Name of God that SDV was overrated? Did they think that but not want to bring it up because of the can of worms that it would open? Just shows how unnecessary his comments could be and how his "I do this for the fans!" mentality really boils down to, "I do this for me and hope the fans also appreciate it" which do be fair, often happens. But to be real, it doesn't always. The fans wanted SDV and he, and only he, didn't.

[MirrorMask]

I know Mike talks to and occasionally hangs out with Jordan and JP but it made me happy to see he hung out with John Myung on New Year's Eve.

That's cool! three down, one to go!

Really, of course they're all adults and they're entitled to have the friendships they like and leave beside people they don't like, but I want MP and James on good speaking terms way more than I want Mike back in DT again. In fact, I don't want him back in DT at all, and I don't mean it in a petty sense - I never wanted him to leave back in the first place.... but he left, I moved on and so did the band; all things being equal I would have liked the band to stay the same, it didn't happen, and now I want the current version of DT to stay the same.

[Madman Shepherd]

In fact, I don't want him back in DT at all, and I don't mean it in a petty sense - I never wanted him to leave back in the first place.... but he left, I moved on and so did the band; all things being equal I would have liked the band to stay the same, it didn't happen, and now I want the current version of DT to stay the same.

Well put. This is exactly how I feel.

[ytserush]

Did not see this posted anywhere.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PUOnH1bVx0E

Portnoy struggling to keep up naming Beatles songs with his daughter.

Have to admit I was a bit surprised that it wasn't even remotely close. But it kind of makes sense because of the reaction time deficit.

She'd still probably kill 80 to 90 percent of Beatles fans from her generation though. Pretty impressive.

[ytserush]

I know Mike talks to and occasionally hangs out with Jordan and JP but it made me happy to see he hung out with John Myung on New Year's Eve.

That's a video I wouldn't mind seeing.

[KevShmev]

That reminds me of his post (I think it was on his forum, but it's hard to remember) in the later 00's where he said he and the band talked about Kevin Moore and Space Dye Vest one night and they all agreed both were overrated, and my thought was always he was probably very verbal about it, and the rest of the band, not wanting to argue about it, probably laughed or nodded, and he took that as total agreement.  Of course I was not there, but given the kind words JLB and JP have had about Moore over the years combined with the fact that Space Dye Vest was played every night on the Along for the Ride tour, it just isn't believable that the entire band agreed with him on that.

Ya know, they may have just said that to not start an argument but I also don't doubt that they do agree with that. Of course, him broadcasting that opinion in no way respects the substance of the rest of their opinions regarding the song. Did they follow it up with, "But we should still play it sometime." Were they saying that compared to Metropolis or In the Name of God that SDV was overrated? Did they think that but not want to bring it up because of the can of worms that it would open? Just shows how unnecessary his comments could be and how his "I do this for the fans!" mentality really boils down to, "I do this for me and hope the fans also appreciate it" which do be fair, often happens. But to be real, it doesn't always. The fans wanted SDV and he, and only he, didn't.

Oh, I am sure the band would have agreed with the "Kevin Moore is overrated" narrative if it was framed to them at the time by Portnoy as "DT fans online think we haven't been great since Kev left," or something to that effect, since the band was obviously not going to think that their best was more than 10 years prior.   And since Portnoy, by his own admission, focuses on the biggest criticism, even if it is a tiny one in a sea of praise, I have no doubt that his spin to the band at the time was something to that effect where the band probably did think, "Yeah, those DT fans are crazy to think anything like that."

[RodrigoAltaf]

My interview with Mike was published today on Sonic Perspectives. Check it out on the link below:


https://www.sonicperspectives.com/interviews/interview-with-mike-portnoy/